I don't want to jinx it, but I think the new post indicator is working! New posts turn black when there's something new, otherwise they are grey from being clicked on. Thank goodness!
Also, did you know you can sort the board differently by checking/unchecking the "Sort by most recent post" box in the upper right? Leave it checked = old board format = sort by original post date. Uncheck it = sort by newest reply = common on many other message board sites. Enjoy!